Rocking horse



July 17, 1956 w. MICHELS 2,755,087

ROCKING HORSE Filed Oct. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR ATTORNE July 17, 1956 Filed Oct. 5, 1955 Siva. 6.

W. MICHELS ROCKING HORSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR 3 ATToR Em United States Patent ROCKING HORSE Willie Michel De rhom, Mich, a signe to R lp Kuh i e se P t is Application October 5, 1953, Serial No. 383,953,

16 Claims. (Cl. 272-52).

This invention relates to rocking toys and particularly rocking horses formed Qf sheet material,

An bje f e invention i to s pa ately form h body, e nd ad l of a ck ng ors of h e material and. to. a semble he par s in a trong y in er l cked relation by fl i h as and sadd under a considerable, resilient stress into a proper engagement w h he dynoth r objec s t provide b a es f sh e mater al for rigidly maintaining a desired transverse relation of th s n sa e t he bo y. such. b a s be ng held in place by the interlocking engagement of the base and saddle with the body.

Another object is to adapt said braces to prevent lateral shifting of the body relative to the base.

Another object is to employ pegs or the like detach-v b y ed n he dy to r s e cape of h bas an a dl fro he r n er o k-e la ion o the b dy- Another object is to adapt the base of the described o king, h rse to er as feet es f ra c ld ed on suc h r e.

Another object is to provide a rocking toy having a qui e c mp c d sa ble rm, in mizi h p o lerns of storage and shipment.

These and ari o r objects are a taine y h construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved rocking horse.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the body of the horse.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the saddle plate.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of an end portion of the base.

Fig. 6 is a detail view enlarged in scale of one of the braces which assist in mounting the body of the base.

Fig. 6A is a similar view of a brace reinforcing the connection between the saddle and body.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the rocking horse in a slightly modified form.

Fig. 8 shows the horse body of the modification in side elevation.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the modified saddle.

10 is a fragmentary bottom view of the modifis cation.

In the construction shown by Figs. l-.6 A, the reference character 1 designates a body formed of sheet material and shaped to roughly simulate a horse, the lower edge 2 of such body having an arcuate convex curvature. Said edge terminates at lugs 3 and 4 formed at the front and rear ends of said body and having a slight downward extent beyond their intersections with said edge. An elongated base plate 5 of resiliently flexible material seats the body 1 at the longitudinal axis of said plate, the length of the base slightly exceeding the arcuate ex.- n f e edge he end o sa d sp ate e s rni: e y lo gi ud nal y otch d a 6, e n ches receiving the lugs 3 and 4 wh n the base. plat is upward y sprung Patented July 17, 1956 2 to substantially engage the edge 2 The lugs 3 and 4 respectively have small apertures 7' positioned to underlie h notches c he. p ar ly sp u g p at and short Pegs. 7 n rted n such p t r main ain t e sprun position, overcoming the effort of the plate to resume its original flat form.

A mid p n 8 s h op e ge of the bo y 1 has a slight convex arcuate curvature, such portion extending rearwardly from the neck 9 of the body to an abutment S e nd en a y a n e P rt on 8 is a saddle-forming plate 11 of sheet material, originally flat but sprung to conform to said arcuate curvature. d plate is p e y elong t len h ise ef the bsdy and has its width gradually increased from its front to, its rear end. Interlocking notches 1 2, and 13 are for-med respectively in the rearend of the saddle plate and abutment 10. The front end of the saddle plate is notched at 14 to straddle an edge portion of the neck 9, and a peg 15 inserted in an aperture 15 of the neck overlies said front end, resisting the effort of the plate to assume its original flat form.

Reinforcing the connection between the body and base are three brace plates 16, preferably of an approximate isosceles triangular form, Each such plate is downwardly slotted from its apex to its approximate center, as indicated at 17 to straddle the body 1 and said body is upwardly slotted at 18 from its lower edge to straddle the plate. Each brace plate has a lug 19 centrally de pending from its lower edge and the base plate has circul r p n 0 wherein i ug t- The e u s resis lateral shifting of the body 1 between its ends. The inter? l ing m n f he b dy an ase a the ends thereof assures against relative lateral shiftingat such ends. It will be noted that the several brace plates have a firm seat on the base plate at opposite sides of the body.

Reinforcing the connection of the saddle plate to the body is a brace plate 21 of an inverted isosceles triangus lar form. Said plate is slotted at 22 centrally upward from its apex to straddle the body and the latter is downwardly slotted at 23 to snugly receive the upper portion of said plate. The arrangement is such that the saddle plate is afforded a seat at its mid portion substantially throughout its width, The neck portion of the body carries handle members 24 oppositely projecting to be gripped by a child occupying the saddle.

In assembling the described construction, the brace plates 16 are first interlocked with the body. After interlocking one end of the base plate with the body the corresponding peg 7 is put in place. The base plate is then flexed until its full length conforms to the lower edge of the body. The other peg 7 is then inserted in the body to maintain the assembly. As the base plate is flexed as described the lugs 19 of the braces 16 are successively inserted in the openings 20 to assure a cen tered relation of the body to the base plate. The base plate moreover exterts a strong upward pressure on the braces 16 assuring rigidity of the latter with respect to the assembly. The saddle plate 11 is properly positioned by first interlocking its rear end with the abhtment 10 by means of the notches 12 and 1 3. The plate is then sprung down until it conforms to the arcuate edge 8, its front end straddling the neck. The peg 15 is then put in place to maintain the assembly. It is a desirable feature of the construction that the pegs 7 and 15 are quite firmly held in place by the spring effort of the base and saddle plate to regain their original flat forrn.

-I n the modified construction shown in Figs. 7:10, e described p s are e m na e eernpa en nstehes 25 an 26 bei e sp e i elv is the beds! and b plate to lock the latter in place, the saddle being similarly lock d y c mpanion notche and. 28. To re'mforce the saddle Plate in i s ns nting e the hqdy, t s erase plates 29 and 29' are disposed in a suitable spaced relation beneath the saddle plate. At its points of engagement by the braces 16, the body is formed with lugs 30 downwardly projecting from the arcuate edge 2 and entering the base plate openings 20. The lugs 30 set up a resistance to any longitudinal relative play of the body and base plate, thus assisting in maintaining the interlock at the ends of said parts.

Since no special skill is required to assemble the described rocking horse in either of its described forms, it is feasible to ship the parts in a disassembled flat form, with great economy of shipping space. The construction similarly lends itself to compact storage. Adaptability of the constructions to assembly without employing nails or screws permits use of unskilled labor for assembly purposes. The sheet material forming the various parts of the described toy is preferably a manufactured board, as for example Masonite.

The lugs 3 and 4 exercise a function additional to that already stated by serving as bumpers limiting rocking actuation, thus helping to avoid any forward or back overturning of the toy, if rocked too vigorously.

What I claim is:

l. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body having a saddle portion at its top in spaced relation to its ends and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, an elongated base plate of resiliently flexible material underlying said body and upwardly sprung to substantially conform to said arcuate edge, means utilizing the resiliency of the base plate for detachably securing the ends of such plate to the body, and a brace plate disposed transversely to and abutting the base plate and having its upper portion slotted to straddle the body, the body being slotted to straddle the lower portion of such brace plate, whereby the brace plate is retained in its use position jointly by the body and base plate.

2. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body having a saddle portion at its top in spaced relation to its ends and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, an elongated base plate of resiliently flexible material underlying said body and upwardly sprung to substantially conform to said arcuate edge, the base platehaving terminal notches at its longitudinal axis and said body having terminal downward projections received in said notches, and means on said projections underlying the ends of the base plate and resisting downward springing of the plate, the stress imposed on the sprung plate resisting its escape from said means.

3. A rocking toy as set forth in claim 2, the last-mentioned means including a peg removably inserted in one of said downward projections beneath the corresponding end of the base plate.

4. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material and disposed substantially vertically and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, said body having a front and a rear end portion and having a neck upwardly extending on its front portion in simulation of an animal, and having a convexly curved upper edge portion rearwardly extending from said neck and having an abutment upwardly extending at the rear end of said upper edge portion, and a saddle plate formed of flexibly resilient sheet material seated upon and flexibly conformed to said edge portion, such plate having front and rear ends notched to respectively straddle the neck and said abutment, and means on the neck and abutment resisting upwardly flexure of the saddle plate.

5. A rocking toy as set forth in claim 4, said means including a peg removably inserted in and transversely projecting from the body above an end of the saddle plate.

6. In a rocking toy as set forth in claim 4, a brace plate transversely mounted on the body beneath and against the saddle plate and similarly projecting at opposite sides of the body.

7. In a rocking toy as set forth in claim 4, a brace plate transversely mounted on the body beneath and against the saddle plate, and having its lower portion upwardly slotted to straddle the body, the body being slotted downwardly from said curved upper edge to straddle the brace late. p 8. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material and disposed substantially vertically, and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, an elongated resiliently flexible base plate underlying said body and upwardly sprung to substantial conformity with said arcuate edge, means for securing the end portions of the base plate to the body, and a brace plate upwardly engaged by the base plate and slotted to straddle the body, said brace late being centrally formed with a depending lug and the base plate having an aperture receiving such lug whereby lateral shifting of the brace plate is resisted.

9. A rocking toy as set forth in claim 8, said body having a depending lug also received within said aperture of the base plate.

10. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material and disposed substantially vertically, and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, an elongated resiliently flexible base plate underlying said body and upwardly sprung to substantial conformity with said arcuate edge, means for securing the end portions of the base plate to the body, and an element formed integrally with said body and downwardly projecting from said secured end portions and spaced lengthwise of the body from the extremities of such edge, the base plate being apertured to receive said element, whereby lateral relative shifting of the body and base plate is resisted.

ll. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material and disposed substantially vertically and having front and rear ends and having its upper edge formed between said ends with an arcuate curvature, an elongated saddle plate formed of resilient sheet material seated at its longitudinal axis on said upper edge and flexibly conformed to said arcuate curvature, means interlocking the ends of said plate to the body to maintain flexure of the plate, resiliency of the plate resisting its escape from the body, and an elongated base surmounted by said body and arcuately curved longitudinally of the base to afford the toy a rocking movement.

12. A rocking toy, comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material disposed substantially vertically and having a convexly arcuate lower edge, a saddle member surmounting said body, an elongated base plate of resiliently flexible material underlying said body and upwardly sprung to engage the body at the longitudinal axis of said plate and to substantially conform to said arcuate edge, such plate having terminal slots along said axis, downward projections on the ends of and integral with the body extending through said slots, and means on said projections resisting downward flexure of the base plate ends, said projections extending below the base plate and serving as bumpers limiting rocking actuation of the toy.

13. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body formed of sheet material and disposed substantially vertically and having front and rear ends, and having its upper edge formed between said ends with an arcuate curvature, an elongated saddle plate formed of resilient sheet material seated at its longitudinal axis on said upper edge and flexibly conformed to said arcuate curvature, means interlocking the ends of said plate to the body to maintain flexure of the plate, a brace plate transversely mounted on the body beneath and against the saddle plate and retained in place by the saddle plate and similarly projecting at opposite sides of the body, and an elongated base plate surmounted by said body and arcuately curved longitudinally thereof to afford the toy a rocking movement.

14. In a rocking toy as set forth in claim 13, a brace plate, upwardly engaged by the base plate and slotted to straddle the body, said brace plate being centrally formed with a depending lug and the base plate having an aperture receiving such lug whereby lateral shifting of the brace plate is resisted, said body having a depending lug also received within said aperture of the base plate, and said body having a convexly arcuate lower edge, and said base plate being formed of a resiliently flexible material underlying said body and upwardly sprung to engage the body at the longitudinal axis of said plate and to substantially conform to said arcuate edge, downward projections on the ends of the body extending through the base plate, means on said projections resisting downward flexure of the base plate ends.

15. A rocking toy comprising an elongated body having a saddle portion at its top in spaced relation to its ends and having a convexly arcuate lower edge and formed with a plurality of spaced lugs downwardly projecting from said edge, slots upwardly extending from the lower edge of each lug, a base plate of resiliently flexible material underlying said body and upwardly sprung to substantially conform to said arcuate edge and having spaced apertures in which said lugs are individually fitted, means for securing the ends of the base plate to the ends of said body to maintain the sprung position of the base plate, and a plurality of brace plates disposed transversely to the body and base plate and respectively retained in the respective slots of the body by the base plate and formed medially with downwardly extending slots receiving portions of the body overlying said slots of the body, whereby the brace plates are held in place by the base plate.

16. In a rocking toy as set forth in claim 15, said brace plates being each formed with a downwardly projecting lug and said lugs being respectively fitted in the respective apertures of the base plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,255,160 Gordon Sept. 9, 1941 2,338,738 Rebholz Jan. 11, 1944 2,470,473 Daellenbach May 17, 1949 2,546,811 Anderson Mar. 27, 1951 2,551,071 Tyng May 1, 1951 

